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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ Trailer Hitch for a 75-76 914

Posted by: boxstr May 5 2013, 07:55 AM

Has anyone fabbed a trailer hitch for a 75-76 914? If so I would like to see how you secured it to the body or??
I am thinking of using the bumper shock mounts. I have an existing hitch, from a Mazda suv to use as a test poiece.
Would love to see pics. Or if there is one out there for sale??
Thanks
Craig at CAMP

Posted by: 76-914 May 5 2013, 08:45 AM

Search "car b que" or some version of that. Kevin did one on his but I think his is 74 MY.

Posted by: Garold Shaffer May 5 2013, 08:54 AM

I have a hidden on my 70, maybe you could fab something like it for a 75/76. Michael at Brad Mayeur's shop came up with the idea on how to do it. It is mounted into the rear trunk welded into to the floor and hidden behind the rear plate. Here are some pictures.

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Posted by: The Cabinetmaker May 5 2013, 04:42 PM

If its a light trailer, could the steel bumber under the rubber suffice as is? Fairly stout setup.

Posted by: boxstr May 5 2013, 08:38 PM

I have thought about that. Am not totally sure what the action of the bumper shox would be. I would prefer not brining them into the picture. I will send pics tomorrow of the hitch that i am going to try and work with.
Craig at CAMP

Posted by: GeorgeRud May 6 2013, 07:58 AM

I'd worry as the shocks are designed to collapse. I don't know how much of a 'pull' they could take.

Wasn't there an under bumper setup that mounted to the transmission mounts? I'd probably trust that design, though Garold's hitch receiver looks great and nicely concealed behind the license plate.

Posted by: rick 918-S May 6 2013, 02:54 PM

I have a 76 here I'll take a look at it.

Posted by: rick 918-S May 6 2013, 03:08 PM

Here's what I would do. The factory still has the plug in the rubber bumper for the tow eye. Considering that, the pull out should be ok on the shocks.

Remove the rubber cover. The re-bar under the cover is stout. You could easily cut a hole through the rebar, insert and weld in a hitch receiver. Then cut a hole in the rubber cover in the license plate recess to expose the receiver and allow the hitch to slide in.

Get a old school hinged license plate holder from an old GM car that had the gas filler behind the plate. That will hide the receiver.

If your worried about pullout on the shocks you can do one of two things:

First, the easy method would be to drill an 1/8 hole in the shocks to let the gas out. then weld the inner slide in section to the outer bolted section.

(WARNING! MANY OF THE BUMPER SHOCKS HAVE A GAS CHARGE. IF YOU WELD ON THEM WITHOUT RELEASING THE GAS THEY USUALLY EXPLODE!)

The other method is to fabricate a shock tube replacement that will not be subject to pullout.

Posted by: toolguy May 6 2013, 03:25 PM

Back in the day, I bought a 75 that had a hitch on it. . There
were 4 mounting holes thru the trunk floor, one in each corner. it had a tongue that went under the rear bumper and up to a hitch. . .It was used to pull a little Hobie Cat

Posted by: kg6dxn May 6 2013, 06:47 PM

Mine is much like the one above but I have a flip down license plate holder from an old chevy now. My receiver tube goes all the way to the transmission crossmember and is beefed up further. My transmission cross member is beefed with a 2" square tubing. I also added a 12ga plate steel under the bumper to carry the load of the towing eyes and receiver tube.

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